Not So Troublesome After All
by BrokenDreamz95
Summary: "For a genius," she said, taking their son out of her husband's arms, "you sure can be a moron." / post-canon ShikaTema oneshot collection
1. Ring

"Troublesome," is the first word to leave his mouth the morning after their marriage as he glances at the ring sitting snug around his finger. He's removed it, setting it aside upon the wooden nightstand at his bedside, muttering words unintelligible in his freshly awakened state as his wife gazes on with that stern look of hers that always manages to make him squirm.

"We haven't been married but a few hours and already you're complaining," she mumbles into the crook of his neck, warm breath tickling his sensitive skin. "Typical."

He sighs in that exaggerated manner that he knows makes her skin crawl, and allows her words to settle amongst the otherwise silent morning. His hand traces invisible patterns against the skin on her back, raising goose bumps beneath his fingertips and sending a satisfying chill down her spine; her back arches in response, causing her to further press her bare breasts against the skin of his chest. He manages a lazy smile.

"Wearing a ring on your finger is rather troublesome for shinobi – we run the risk of losing it in battle," he proclaims after some time, brows knitted together as he stares at the ceiling above in thought. "Why wear a ring only to have it slip off and be lost amongst the battlefield?"

"You think too much, I swear," she says. "A ring is a symbol of never-ending love – and also an indication to others that you're off the market; it isn't meant to be 'troublesome', as you see it."

"Troublesome," he echoes his first word of the morning.

"Marriage is troublesome."

A mild punch to the chest earns an _oof_! from the young man.

"A bit late to be saying such a thing, don't you think?"

He shrugs in response. "Perhaps. I just think it's a bother to waste such money on something that can get lost so easily."

"I never knew you were such the romantic, Shikamaru," she flashes a teasing smile and jabs her finger into his chest; simply from those actions, he can tell that she is less than pleased, although she would never admit it aloud.

Nonetheless, he smiles and snakes his arms around her waist, gripping her hips and hoisting her body fully atop his. "You learn something new every day."

.

.

Just days later, after his shift at work ends and he arrives home, scratching at the facial hair he has begun to grow at the end of his chin, his wife eyes a piece of jewelry that dangles around his neck.

On a new, simple, silver chain hangs his wedding band – something she was afraid he would never wear again.

She thinks back to his view towards wedding rings just days earlier, recalling just how he believed them to be a waste of money if prone to being lost. In her mind, she believes she should have known better, given that she has married a genius. Her husband has found a practical way to wear the ring given to him by his wife on their wedding day – a way to declare that he is a happily married man, without worry of losing such a valuable item.

He catches her staring as he enters the kitchen, heading toward the refrigerator in search of a pre-dinner snack. He glances at her over his shoulder. "Something the matter?"

"No," she smiles softly, teal meeting brown as their gazes lock. "Nothing at all."

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><p><strong>AN:** Hello, everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the first of many oneshots and drabbles to come. This is my first attempt at Naruto fanfiction, so I'm hoping I did alright. I usually only write Legend of Korra fics, but after seeing my childhood OTP finally became canon, I decided, to hell with it, let's write some ShikaTema! You can request drabbles or oneshots in the reviews, or you can find me on tumblr under the URL wanbender and send them via my ask box. I can't wait to hear from you!


	2. Bun in the Oven

It was revealed over dinner – in between several bites of the freshly cooked meal Temari had prepared for herself and her husband just after returning from a meeting with Kakashi in regards of affairs with Suna and her brother, the Kazekage.

She was never one to make such a deal over any news she was tasked with delivering, no matter how big or small; so, of course, when she nonchalantly spilled the beans while chowing down on her dinner, her husband was understandably taken off guard. Perhaps she could have chosen a better time – maybe during the evening, while her head rested against his chest; or even in the morning, while they both enjoyed a cup of tea – let alone better words to use – the way his mouth hung agape let her know that using the words _I'm pregnant – by the way, can you pass me the salt?_ wasn't the best way possible to reveal your pregnancy to your husband.

To have broken the news in a more romantic, tender way just wasn't Temari's style, however.

So there she sat – poking at the remnants of the meal upon her plate with her fork, gathering up whatever she could unto the ends before sticking them into her mouth; completely unphased by her husband's reaction. She would steal a glance from behind her bangs every now and again, only to discover that he was still exactly how she had left him - eyes wide, jaw dropped, and hand dangling rather awkwardly near his mouth, the fork he once held within it now free from his grip and resting amongst the food on his plate. He hadn't moved in what seemed like an eternity – which, in reality, had only been a minute and a half – as she awaited some sort of verbal response; however, she was beginning to lose hope. Leave it to her husband to freeze up and send her mind guessing as to what he was feeling, exactly.

Nonetheless, she continued eating, even as the sound of chair legs being pushed against the wooden floor hit her ears. Shikamaru was finally moving – and Temari could only assume what he was up to.

Yet, as she continued to munch of what little was left of her dinner, she was taken by surprise at the sound of knees hitting the wood floor, and the sensation of her husband's face burying itself against her lap. The fabric of her kimono tightened around her waist as the young man took tufts in each hand, fisting them as he buried his face further against her lap. Bits of warm moisture began to seep through the fabric, dampening her skin and sending her mind in a flurry as she set her fork down beside her plate.

Was he...?

"When did you find out?" he sniffled, voice muffled against the kimono's fabric.

Her hand found its way atop his head, rubbing the hair pulled in a tight tie at the crown of his head soothingly. She allowed herself a slight smile. "Just this morning."

Brown met teal as Shikamaru peeked up at his wife from his position upon her lap. She had been right – his eyes were red and slightly puffy, with tears pooling at the edges of his eyelids.

"You're going to be a father, crybaby."

And with those words in his head, Shikamaru's eyes narrowed as he smiled up at Temari, allowing the excess tears to spill over. His arms wound around his wife's waist, and he buried his face against her lap once more.

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><p><strong>AN:** And here is the second installment of this collection I've gathered. I want to thank everyone so far for their reviews and requests! I can confirm a oneshot with Shikadai will be coming next. If you have any more requests, send them my way! Please be sure to review and let me know what you thought about this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed - see you next time!


	3. Troublesome

It was a question that sent Shikamaru's mind back several years into the past – a time he resembled the young boy sitting across from him (almost) perfectly.

Shikadai had skipped class at the academy for the third time this week, successfully earning his mother's anger. Shikamaru hadn't been around to hear the details, having been assisting Naruto – or Lord Seventh, as the rest of the village referred to him as; yet, considering their history, the head of the Nara clan found it odd to refer to his friend as anything other than his name, and honestly, Naruto wouldn't have had it any other way – for the day, yet he had certainly obtained an earful upon walking through the threshold.

According to his oh so loving wife, it was somehow _his_ fault for their son's laziness. Granted, Shikamaru was known rather well for his laidback, carefree, go-with-the-flow, lazy attitude, but he was renowned within Konoha – and beyond – as a genius – something of which he spotted within Shikadai at a young age.

Did that excuse his son's recent absences from class?

No – at least, not in Temari's eyes.

Perhaps things would have gone much smoother if Shikamaru hadn't insisted that their son's intelligence would keep him ahead of his class, thus dismissing any worry over his lack of attendance.

Now both he and his son sat at either end of the shogi board, attempting to avoid the angered woman in their life, and take some time to relax.

It wasn't until half-way through the game – or what Shikamaru assumed was the midway point, until Shikadai had one-upped his father, managing to crumble his strategy completely – that Shikadai broke the silence with the ever important question, "Why'd you marry such a troublesome woman like Mom, anyway?"

The elder Nara's eyes had widened in surprise, and his mind was completely torn away from the game laid out before them. His chocolate brown eyes had met the dark green gaze of his son, and with the look he was giving, Shikamaru couldn't help but picture his wife.

"Well," he began, rubbing at the goatee grown at the end of his chin – he took a quick mental note to trim the damn thing tonight, before he allowed it to grow out of control. Absentmindedly, he took a shogi piece within his grasp and placed it upon the field. "It's interesting that you would ask that. I actually asked your grandfather such a thing when I was around your age."

"You seriously asked Grandpa Shikaku about Grandma Yoshino?"

"Yep."

"What'd he say?"

The elder Nara leaned backward, resting his weight within his palms as he thought back to that day. It had been years ago, but he remembered it quite clearly, for it was something he had carried with him, always. He allowed a smile to grace his features.

"He had to take a second to think about it, but eventually he said that he married your grandmother because she sometimes would smile gently, sort of how she smiles at you."

Shikadai cocked his head to the side and raised a brow in confusion – this boy would never stop reminding Shikamaru just how much he resembled his wife, in terms of looks, would he? "That's it?"

Shikamaru offered a shrug. "That's what he told me."

"That's lame," the young boy mumbled, slouching forward ever so slightly. "Surely you didn't marry Mom for that same reason?"

"To be honest, I hadn't a clue what your grandfather meant when he gave me that reason. I thought it was pretty lame, myself," Shikamaru grinned. "As I got older, though, and the more time I spent with your mother… I began to understand just what your grandfather meant."

"Don't tell me…"

"I married your mother somewhat for that same reason. The rest – I guess – just kind of happened."

"That's totally lame, Dad," Shikadai smiled. He glanced down at the shogi board, and without hesitation, moved a piece in accordance to his father's last move. "By the way – checkmate."

Temari was right – Shikamaru definitely had a carbon copy on his hands.

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><p><strong>AN:** This was requested by an anon on tumblr. I had a much different idea planned out, and in progress, yet this blindsided me and I had to take this route. I think it's much more enjoyable. I hope you guys enjoyed! Thanks for reading!


	4. Lived

It was somewhat of a miracle that he hadn't collapsed to the ground beneath him as he inched closer and closer to the gates of Konoha.

Beneath his skin, his toned muscles burned in such an agonizing way with even the slightest of motions – it was a wonder even to him how he managed his way back to the village without the rest his body cried for. He looked like utter hell – strands of hair hung all around his face, having fallen out of his hair tie sometime during his mission; clothing torn in several different areas; face stained with grass, dirt, and dried blood – yet those he knew on the outskirts of the village greeted him with smiles and glad-to-have-you-backs. It was always like that with the residents of Konoha – no matter how big or small the mission, the residents always offered their support to the shinobi and kunoichi that were sent off – and it was something that helped the men and women return with a sense of pride and accomplishment. He was grateful for the comments and smiles from those that welcomed him home, and he even offered a faint smile, yet what he wanted more than anything was to hold on just a bit longer, cross the threshold to his home, and pass out upon any cushioned surface closest to him.

As he neared the village gates, a woman with a familiar head of sandy-blonde hair materialized within his vision. Somehow – perhaps by the way she leaned oh so casually against the large wooden post – he knew that she wore a smirk upon her face. The tables had turned, somewhat – for years, it had always been _him_ welcoming _her_ to the village, yet now, it was the opposite, and he was certain she would somehow find some sort of way to gloat just as a way to annoy him further. Truth be told, he would one-up her with the pride of her having settled down within their growing village as Suna's Ambassador to Konoha, appointed by both Gaara and Kakashi. It was something that allowed their relationship to grow – and grow it did.

"You look like shit, Nara," Temari greeted him nonchalantly, wearing that smirk he just knew had found its way upon her features the instant he had come into her view.

He groaned, rolling his right shoulder in attempt to relieve the stiffness and pain that presented itself. He winced and gritted his teeth, hissing in response to the burning sensation that shot from his shoulder throughout his neck. "I _feel_ like shit – hey, you think Kakashi would mind if I reported back to him later on? I'm only good enough to crawl my way home; that's it."

Her eyes narrowed, most likely at his rather informal use of Lord Sixth's name. Nevertheless, her smirk slowly spread out into a smile. "I doubt he'd mind missing out on this lovely mug of yours, believe me."

"It must be quite lovely if you can stand to look at it everyday," he managed a chuckle.

"I so wish I could kick your ass right now."

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><p><strong>AN:** This is for modishandspirited over on tumblr! I wasn't quite sure where I wanted this to go, but I'm happy with it. More prompts to fill for you all - see you next update!


	5. Earrings

"Hold still."

"_I am_."

"No, you're _not_ – dammit, hold still!"

"I said – Nara, I swear if you fuck this up, I will fuck _you_ up – I am!"

"For one of the toughest kunoichi I know, you sure are acting like a baby. I told you – I know what I'm doing."

"I'm the first person you're doing this to!"

"Dammit, woman, stop being so troublesome – it's a quick pinch, that's it."

"Quick pinch my ass – just get it over with before I regret agreeing to this."

"Alright," holding the cork behind Temari's earlobe with one hand, Shikamaru gripped the piercing needle in his other, positioning it against her skin. "Ready?"

A glare silently speaking the words, of-course-I'm-ready-you-ass, was enough of an answer for the young man.

He pushed the needle through her skin easily enough, allowing the tip to puncture the cork, all while carefully examining his girlfriend's face. He swore he'd heard the slight, sharp intake of air in the form of a hiss the moment the needle had passed through the lobe, and of course he had rolled his eyes upward. It wasn't as bad as she had been making it out to me – even the whole wiggling of the needle in order to widen the hole – and yet, a side of him was somewhat glad she was reacting in the manner she was; this meant he had something to hold over her head and annoy her with.

Sliding the needle out and placing the cork aside, Shikamaru grabbed the starter earring and quickly placed it through the hole, wiping away excess blood with a cotton swab before securing the back.

"Is it done?" she asked, eying him somewhat nervously.

He nodded.

Her face relaxed.

"I can't believe you – of all people – are afraid of needles," he chuckled. "I told you it isn't so bad, didn't I?"

"Yeah… I guess."

"Now to do your other ear."

"…I hate you."

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><p><strong>AN:** Another update so soon! This is for a headcanon submitted to me by an anon on tumblr - they had the headcanon that Shika pierced Temari's ears at some point. This was born soon after. I hope you all enjoyed. See you next time!


	6. Mornings

Her arms seem to snake further around his torso as he shifts in the bed, attempting to sit up and let out a yawn, glancing at the alarm clock at his bedside while throwing his legs over the edge, unwilling and unready to begin the day. It's something that has become part of his normal routine – untangling himself from his wife's grasp, that is – and as much as he would love nothing more than to lie in bed with her for the entirety of the day, life always has its way of interrupting.

He groans in protest, yet his actions speak his true desires as his fingertips brush over the fabric of her nightshirt, his palm coming to rest against the small of her back. "You're going to make me late for work," he mumbles somewhat groggily against her hair.

"And _you're_ still my husband until eight o'clock," are the words she breathes against the fabric of his shirt. The warmth of her breath penetrates the fabric and warms his cool skin, sending a chill down his spine. As he shudders ever so slightly beneath her, he catches a hint of a smirk playing at her lips.

"While I'm not arguing that fact—" an audible yawn breaks free, interrupting his sentence "—I do need to take a shower."

"Great – I'll join you."

The Nara Clan head sighs – something he knows annoys his wife to no end – and carefully peels her away from him. He cannot only see the distaste on her face, but it is evident in the air around them. She isn't getting what she wants from him – not that he never complies to her requests for sex, he's just busy thinking of the outcome of arriving somewhat late to work, which he has done before. He didn't hear the end of it from Naruto for a week straight – and she isn't happy.

"As appealing as that does sound, I'd rather not deal with Naruto's endless taunting."

"Shikamaru," his wife groans, flipping her body onto its side. She rests her cheek against the palm of her hand, elbow digging into her pillow. "This is Naruto we're talking about – the worst he can do is make some stupid remarks about you getting sex from your wife. At least he'll know you started your day off well."

His hands fly to his face, and a full-blown grin spreads from one ear to the other. Temari did have a point - and besides, he has dealt with Naruto's teasing ways just fine in the past; however, as the thought settles in his mind and his body is moving toward his wife - eyes closing the moment he comes face-to-face with her, lips parting as he goes to initiate a kiss – remembrance hits him like a ton of bricks.

"Shit."

"What?"

"You guys are disgusting."

"That…" Shikamaru groans, lazily pulling himself away from his wife. His back hits the mattress and his hands are on his face once more; this time, he isn't smiling. "I forgot that."

"It's alright, Dad," Sikadai says in a tone that reminds Shikamaru so much of Temari – not to mention he can practically hear the smile that usually accompanies it. "I'm practically desensitized to you two being… _mushy_."

From beside him, Temari snorts. "We are _not_ mushy."

"_Right_, and I can _totally_ smoke Dad in a shogi match," his son retaliates, and Shikamaru peeks through his fingers to find his son's green eyes on Temari with a challenging grin on his face. "I usually know better than to interrupt you two – just because I know Mom would kill me, as well as sparing myself the mental trauma – but Dad promised to walk me to school today."

"That's what I forgot," Shikamaru's lips curled upward in to a sheepish grin. "I told our little fawn that I'd drop him at school on my way to work."

"I'm _not_ your guys' _little_ _fawn_…"

"As long as you're our son—" Temari chimes in, and – judging by the way her voice carries to his ears, and the way the mattress shifts beside him – sits up. "—you're our little fawn, _shithead_."

"Dad…"

"Listen to your mother, _little fawn_."

From the doorway, Shikadai emits an exasperated sigh that is the perfect mixture of both his mother and father. "…Please just take me to school."

Beside him, the mattress begins to shake as his wife erupts in laughter, and soon, he does, too.

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><p><strong>AN:** This originally wasn't going to include a cameo from our dear little Shikadai, but I couldn't help it! This basically wrote itself. Thanks for all the reviews, everyone! Please keep them coming - I love reading them! Until next time.


	7. Burnt Toast

"Get that grin off your damn face," Temari cautioned, snatching her toasted slices of bread from the toaster. "You're never happy in the morning; it's creepy."

From beside her, Shikamaru brought his glass of juice to his lips, throwing his head back and downing what remained. He let out a sound of satisfaction and turned his attention toward the Suna-nin, grin never leaving his face. "I'm just amazed that I was finally successful in getting you to spend the night," he said, removing two slices of bread from their packaging and popping them in the toaster.

She snorted. "You'll have an even more difficult time getting me to sleep with you, lazy-ass," she smiled, finishing up buttering her toast. With a playful jab of her elbow into his side, she took her plate of toast and glass of juice to the kitchen table and sat down.

The Nara Clan head _tch'd_ in response, folding his arms across his chest and turning his back toward the toaster upon the counter. "So I guess this means you'll be heading back to Suna today?"

"More than likely," Temari acknowledged, grabbing the teapot before her and pouring herself a cup. She took a sip before continuing. "I think having to explain why I'm arriving a day later than expected to my brothers is enough trouble in itself."

"You only have to deal with the crude jokes and _I-knew-it_s from Kankurō, though," Shikamaru muttered through a yawn. "Once word spreads – if it hasn't already – that you spent the night with me rather than in a motel, I'm guaranteed to have the entire village hounding my ass."

"Kankurō can be just as bad as Naruto, trust me – speaking of which…" she paused to take a bite of her toast, chewing with rather audible crunches. "Promise me you'll steer clear from that idiot as much as possible when you walk me to the gates; I don't want to deal with his shit right before I leave."

"Got'cha."

"Also, Shikamaru…"

"Hm?"

"Your toaster is on fire."

He whipped around at her words. Lo and behold, smoke and flames emitted from within the toaster; the strong scent burning both his eyes and nostrils.

"_Fuck_!"

There went his breakfast.

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><p><strong>AN:** Not sure entirely what this is, but it's been written and there is no going back. Have yourself some comedic ShikaTema!


	8. Tangled

"We should get up," she mumbles, speech muffled by the bare skin she rests her head against. She makes no effort, however, to move a muscle, content with the sensation of his beating heart against her cheek; his carefree, lazy attitude has seemingly rubbed off on her, not that she's complaining.

His arms are wrapped around her – one slung lazily around her back, and the other slung in such a manner that allows his hand access to her sandy-blonde locks. His fingers lace in her hair, playing with the strands as he often does, carefully avoiding tangling or pulling the strands at his fingertips. His other hand traces invisible patters upon the bare skin of her back; she can somewhat make out letters he writes upon her skin – he hasn't stopped spelling out Temari Nara since they had wed.

"Comfy…" he manages past a yawn, mumbling the words into her hair.

She knows this will be a day in which they rarely leave their bed – if at all. Neither of them are complaining.

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><p><strong>AN:** Quick little drabble that was requested by datte-ba on tumblr! I'll be back with a oneshot next update - promise!


	9. Apologies

The needle within his hand was enough to stop her dead in her tracks.

There her husband sat – ass seemingly comfortable against the carpet beneath, legs folded together, and their young son seated upon his lap. His hand fiddled awkwardly with Shikadai's small ear, pressing a cork behind his lobe as he brought the needle dangerously close toward the skin-covered tissue.

Their son's face contorted between a mixture of anticipation and excitement as he eyed the earring between her husband's teeth.

She cleared her throat.

Brown met teal, and all her husband could do was blink.

"Daddy offered to pierce my ear so I could be just like him!"

"I thought that wasn't until he was a genin, Shikamaru," she growled through gritted teeth.

"These aren't the clan's earrings—" he mumbled past the metal between his teeth. "—they're his own pair until he's a genin. He just kept bothering so I gave in."

She raised a brow.

"I'm sorry?"

Nevertheless, she cracked a smile. "You sure are one weak father."

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><p><strong>AN:** I asked for one word drabble prompts on tumblr and wasn't disappointed. I've got a few more to write out, which I'll be posting here over the next few days. Enjoy!


	10. Promises

They're playing shogi when it happens.

She's taking much too long during her move (of course), contemplating several scenarios in an attempt to get within his mind – to think how he thinks. It's useless, of course, and although she knows this fact, she tries anyway. It's something he finds rather amusing – and although she is rather good at thinking of at least five different moves ahead, he has his bases covered and is already adding fifty extra moves to his game plan.

With her brow furrowed and her chin resting upon her hand, she's in far too deep of a concentration that he certainly cannot break her from. This allows him the time he needs to fiddle with the object in his pocket – cool to the touch and smooth against his fingertips. He's held on to the object for quite some time – always looking for the perfect moment to present it to her; however, romance isn't exactly his style. Kneeling down before her on a clear, beautiful night, surrounded by lit candles and rose petals? Forget about it. It's now or never at the rate he's going.

She makes her move – finally – and as she drops her piece in to place, he's swapping his piece out for the ring in his hand, placing it upon the board.

He can feel her eyes upon him, and it takes him a great amount of courage to meet her gaze. His face feels flush and he knows for a fact that he is some shade of red that she was make fun of later; and yet, her face is no different – mouth slightly agape, eyes widened slightly, and her own shade of red adorning her skin.

"So… what'dya say?" he squeaks, bottom lip protruding ever so slightly, and finger scratching at the side of his face.

Her answer is clear the moment she slips the simple, yet elegant ring – that is so Shikamaru – onto her finger, and tugs on his shirt for a kiss.

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><p><strong>AN:** Told you guys I'm on a roll! Enjoy :)


	11. Pain

His hand _hurt_.

As someone who usually was the one dishing out pain to others, it was unusual for Shikamaru to witness the woman he deemed to be the cruelest kuniochi to be in such unbearable pain.  
>In a way, he was to blame, he supposed.<p>

Her screams of agony filled the room, drowning out Sakura's urges for her to continue pushing – "I can see his head!" "He's almost here, Temari!" "Just a few more pushes and you'll have your son in your arms!"

On that final push, he was certain she had fractured his hand.

He supposed he deserved it.

Her screams ceased, and her grasp on his hand eased. She was panting, eyes focused on the pink-haired medical-nin in anticipation.

He swallowed.

The cries of their newborn son soon filled the room, and both he and Temari broke in to large grins.

"Great job, Temari – your son is here," Sakura smiled, swaddling the newborn Nara and handing him off to his mother.

He was finally here – and both of their pain was soon forgotten.

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><p><strong>AN:** Thank you all for the recent reviews! I can't wait to see what you all think about this drabble :)


	12. Roses

Ino always knew her teammate was an utter blockhead when it came to conventional romance – but this definitely took the cake.

Her eyebrow cocks in question and confusion, curious as to just how someone as intelligent as Shikamaru could assume – out of all things – a cactus was a romantic gift for his girlfriend. She's grown close enough with Temari to deduce her admiration of nature – after catching the Suna-nin glancing in the shop windows from afar, she's invited her in to browse the selection of flowers and plants housed in the Yamanaka Flower Shop. It isn't much of a surprise to Ino that, even a hard-ass like Temari had a soft-spot for something so seemingly out of her element; she is a woman, after all.

"What the hell, Shikamaru?"

He blinks, already pulling out the cash from his wallet. "Huh?"

"Don't you think roses are a much better gift for your girlfriend than a dried up cactus?"

"Eh, shut up," he mumbles, slamming the money down upon the counter. "I know what I'm doing."

She's about to make a comment on how even Sai knows the basics of romantic gestures – he's brought her roses countless times – but Shikamaru is already walking away with the cactus in hand, calling out how troublesome of a woman she is for butting in his business.

When she visits Temari a few days later and finds the cactus from her shop sitting proudly upon the windowsill, she figures that her teammate-turned-brother and new friend are definitely the oddest couple in all of Konoha.

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><p><strong>AN:** I've so many prompts sitting in my ask box on tumblr - it's insane. Enjoy!


	13. Busy

"Mommy—" the little voice calling out from the bedroom entryway put a cease to the actions currently taking place upon the bed. "—why are you hurting Daddy?"

They were too stunned to move away from each other; Shikamaru's hands held their grip upon his wife's hips, and Temari remained staddling her husband, palms placed against his bare chest. It was definitely a rather compromising position to be caught in – especially when the one catching you was your four-year-old son.

"Shikadai," Shikamaru squeaked from beneath his wife, avoiding movement at any costs. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"I heard you making noises so I got scared," the young Nara explained. "Why is Mommy hurting you?"

"Mommy isn't hurting me, little fawn. We were just…"

"Wrestling," Temari interjected, answering far too quickly. Her husband may have been the most intelligent man in all of Konoha, but when it came to such simple tasks, he was an utter moron. "Kind of like how you wrestle with Bolt and Inojin. This is just a more grown-up version."

"Is that why you're nakey?"

Temari glanced down at her bare breasts. "Yes, that's why we're nakey, kiddo."

"Okay," Shikadai nodded, clearly accepting of his mother's explanation. "Can I have some water?"

"Yes you can," she managed a smile at her son's innocence, climbing off of her husband who stifled a groan. She wrapped a robe around her body. "Then it's back to bed. We'll have a talk on privacy tomorrow."

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><p><strong>AN:** Thanks for the reviews! Keep them coming, and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!


	14. Surpirse

It wasn't that they needed an excuse for sex – it was that they had an excuse for sex.

Having already been a rather physical couple, Shikamaru and Temari often had spontaneous sex for several different reasons – there was the usual morning sex, make-up sex, birthday sex, I-had-a-terrible-day-at-work-so-let's-make-it-better-with-sex sex, angry sex, lazy sex, just-because sex, and so much more. Their first anniversary as a married couple was just another reason to add to the growing list of reasons to have sex.

Their assault on each other had begun way before they had crossed the invisible border between public property and that which belonged to them – if it had been up to them, they would have unclothed each other and gone at it right in their yard; it wouldn't have been the first time they had gotten frisky in public. It was the moment her back slammed against the front door that things truly began to heat up.

His fingernails dug in to her skin through the thin fabric of her shirt as he gripped her wrists, pulling her arms well above her head and pinning them against the door. It was _hot_ – in every sense of the word – and all either of them wanted was to shed the other of their clothing and begin their romp.

His lips trailed away from her mouth, making their way down her chin in quick, rough kisses until finally coming at a standstill against her neck. He could feel her arms struggling against his grip, most likely longing to weave their way around his neck and entwine her fingers within his hair; her body pressed further against his own, pelvis grinding against his groin in a manner that made him groan against her skin.

They needed it – they needed it _now_.

His grip loosened – one hand coming to rest upon the small of her back, and the other fiddling with the knob of their front door – and in that moment of freedom, Temari's hands found their way against either side of Shikamaru's face, guiding his head back to level with hers. She took his bottom lips between her teeth and smiled tantalizingly.

"I'd hurry with that door if I were you."

He did just that.

The door swung open, nearly denting the wall with its doorknob, and in the couple went – hands and lips never leaving each other.

That was when the lights unexpectedly began to shine.

And the stifled giggling that was all too familiar began.

They pulled away from each other for what would be the first time in their relationship – eyes wide and cheeks flushed from both desire and sheer embarrassment.

Within their home stood a group of their friends – and to Temari's horror, her own brothers – who held looks that mirrored their own.

In the middle stood a giggling Naruto.

"Look like they one-upped us on surprises," Kankurō grimaced.

"And here you guys had us thinking you were just some boring couple," Naruto added between laughs, his grin growing larger by the second. "I knew it! I knew you guys were fre—AH! Temari, stop!"

Shikamaru cracked a smile as his wife threatened to tear Naruto a new one. He was more than happy with allowing his wife to clobber his friend – after all, he deserved it.

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><p><strong>AN:** This prompt was given to me by Spontaneous Muse (aka therewithasmile on tumblr). I hope you all enjoyed!


	15. Pineapple

The prickliness of the pineapple his wife held beside his head bothered the skin of his cheek, causing sensations of both irritation and dull pain. The way her brow knitted together, accompanied by the mischievous glint in her eyes told him she was contemplating something devious – sadly, that was nothing new to him. Her intent with the pineapple, however, stumped even his genius mind.

He blinked.

"What are you doing?" he asked, swatting her arm away.

"The way you wear your hair—" she flashed her teeth in a grin, moving the fruit back beside her husband's head "—makes you look like a pineapple."

He groaned. "You're such a loving wife."

She tossed the pineapple into the shopping basket and grinned. "That I am."

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><p><strong>AN:**Oh boy, we're coming close to posting all of the prompts I've written thus far. Don't worry though, there will be more! There just may not be daily updates. As always, I hope you all enjoyed!


	16. Little Do You Know

It was an odd feeling, really.

She originally paid it no mind when the feeling would swirl within the pit of her stomach, sending her head for a whirl each time she would approach the gates of Konoha and see that apathetic guide of hers yawning in to his hand during the early morning hours. While rather unusual for the young man, he always made an effort to welcome her to his quaint, little village, as well as oversee her departure – no matter the hour. It was something she deemed as common courtesy, given that being her guide was a mission of his, and – of course – this led her to simply sweep the thought under the rug where she kept it hidden without putting further thought in to it.

As time went on, she would somehow find herself accepting his offers to join him for a meal together – repeating the mantra of _he's just acting as my guide_ over-and-over in the contours of her mind. Their conversations over meals generally revolved around preparations for the chūnin exams, occasionally bleeding in to discussions of political matters involving their respective villages, as well as the Hokage and Kazekage. She preferred keeping matters strictly around business; however, she soon discovered that he had other things in mind when their conversations strayed from business matters, to family matters and discussions of friends. This often led him to share stories of his childhood, or fond memories shared with his late father and sensei – particularly memories of shogi games that made him smile one of those rare smiles – over nikuman as they ventured across the village.

She dismissed it as him simply being friendly.

She eventually found herself being walked not only to the gates upon entry and departure into the village, but even to her hotel each night. _"I can take care of myself, you know,"_ were the words that often left her mouth when thoughts of his typical_ men must protect the women_ motto swam through her head. Each time, however, he would simply shrug, muttering the words _"that's not it,"_ in to the cold, night air.

It took only those three words, the half-assed shrug of his shoulders, and the averting of his gaze to send that familiar sensation of butterflies coursing through her stomach.

She would dismiss herself shortly in to her room for a glass of water, convinced her feelings were nothing more than slight dehydration, exhaustion, or effects of the weather.

It hadn't been until one of their usual meetings that realization hit her like a ton of bricks.

His fingers had brushed across the back of her hand innocently enough – something she immediately dismissed as a mere accident as he reached for a napkin across the table. He made no effort to move, however, as he continued to chow down on his meal, eyes focused only on the food before him, daring not to so much as steal a glance of her reddened face. His fingers fanned out, and his palm laid upon the back of her hand, and that was when she began to realize.

She had no intentions of pulling away, either.

Her heart raced and her head swam and she felt so utterly _stupid_ for feeling this way. She'd never had time to allow herself to feel for a guy in such a manner growing up – nor had she ever been given the chance. Of all the men in the world, it just had to be him – the genius of Konoha, the lazy, smart-ass she convinced herself of hating so much.

All this time, she had dismissed the signs – the signs that – perhaps – she inevitably had been falling for him.

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><p><strong>AN:** This is one of my more favorites that I've written. I hope you all enjoyed!


	17. Stars

"And that right there is Canis Major – otherwise known as the Great Dog," he murmurs into her hair, moving one arm from behind his head to point upward at the night sky. "The brightest star in that constellation is Sirius, which is also the brightest in the entire night sky."

"I thought you invited me out here for some stargazing," her voice is muffled by the fabric of his flak jacket, gradually becoming more coherent as she turns her head to gaze at just where the young man is pointing. "Not a science lesson."

"I can get more technical if you'd like."

"If you do, I swear I'll leave your ass here."

He smirks, clearly accepting of her silent challenge.

His arm shifts around in the air until it comes to a sudden halt. "That's Spica – the sixteenth brightest star in the sky. It's the only visible star within Virgo – the second largest constellation – without the aid of a telescope. Spica actually consists of two stars…"

He's testing her patience – pushing her buttons as he oh so willingly does on a regular basis. Yet, she allows a slight smile to grace her features, impressed by the amount of knowledge the apathetic Nara carries within that head of his. She doesn't leave, as she promised earlier; instead, she remains with her head upon his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart and his quiet voice as he babbles on about the night sky.

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><p><strong>AN:** Thank you all for the reviews so far! I hope you enjoyed this little drabble.


	18. Exhaustion

Rarely did Temari Nara overtire herself.

Her stamina was one to be tampered with – proven during her continuing career as a kunoichi, and often mumbled to her through rather audible pants by her husband after long romps in the bedroom. She was strong – she had to be in order to receive her title as the cruelest kunoichi out there – and it took a lot to break her down and truly tire her out.

Never did she imagine that childbirth would be her breaking point.

After a ten-hour labor, she holds her newborn son in her arms – Shikadai, as she and Shikamaru have agreed upon sometime after discovering the sex of their child months prior. He is the greatest gift either of them could ever receive, and though she wants nothing more than to gaze at her son for days on end, her body is weak due to lack of energy, and her eyes are heavy with exhaustion.

"I hate having to say this," she says faintly, peering her eyes away from the infant in her arms to her husband sitting in the chair beside the hospital room window, "but I need some rest."

Not so surprisingly, her husband breaks out in a grin. "Slowly turning in to a full-blown Nara, huh?"

She sneers. "Don't push it."

He offers a weak shrug of his shoulders; lifting them and dropping them back in to place ever so slowly, before lifting himself from the chair. He takes the few footsteps toward her bedside, and she readies herself to hand over their son, expecting her husband to extend his arms and splay his fingers in an offer to hold their infant son.

She's met, instead, by an unusual request.

"Scoot over."

Her brow arches, creasing the skin of her forehead as she stares at him, completely and utterly lost. "Huh?"

He flicks his wrists back and forth a time or two, further emphasizing his previously spoken request. "Scoot. Move. Make room."

"You can't be serious…"

"Oh, but I am," he flashes his teeth in a quick grin before carefully maneuvering his way upon the bed beside his wife. "You and _little fawn _here aren't going to leave Daddy out of naptime."

And before she knows it, he's carefully prying their son away from her grasp as he lies beside her. He places the infant against his chest and pulls Temari close to his side, where she willingly gives in due to her exhaustion, and rests her hand atop their son's back. Her husband places his hand atop hers. She smirks and rolls her eyes.

"Welcome to the Nara Clan, Shikadai," her husband grins, eyelids fluttering shut. "You're already off to a great start."

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><p><strong>AN:** This is one of my most popular fics over on tumblr. I hope you all agree with them in regards of enjoyment. Thanks for reading!


	19. Red-Handed

The way her forehead creased was all too familiar to the two males she stood before, teal eyes shooting daggers toward their cowering figures. With her hands placed firmly upon her hips, the kunoichi snarled, earning a yelp from the youngest of the two men, who gripped at the older's pant leg for dear life.

Her eyes shot toward the cookies stuffed into each of their mouths, cheeks protruding like a squirrel in the process of storing food for later consumption. The cookie jar lay open behind them, the counter riddled with crumbs.

She had told Shikadai no sweets before dinner – but she never expected having to lay down similar rules for Shikamaru.

"You two are in deep shit – especially you, Shikamaru."

Her husband and young son quickly learned thereafter never to dare sneak things past the Suna ambassador again.

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><p><strong>AN:** Here is a short drabble that came to me randomly the other night. I hope you all enjoyed.


	20. Anger

He's sitting upon the sofa, hunched over just the slightest; his forearms rest just above each of his knees, hands dangling at the gap between his legs. His heel is rising inches off of the ground only to be brought back down for the motion to repeat itself in a speedy rhythm. He's resisting the urge to sigh as his girlfriend's bellows of rage travel into his ears; however, the task comes with much difficulty as he witnesses her continue her rampage.

Her face is tinted a bright red from the anger she harbors, and her hands ball in to fists at her sides. When she isn't screaming, her jaw is clenched, and her teal eyes glare daggers at his resting frame, as though daring him to make so much as a squeak.

Neither of the two have ever had ways with their choices in words – something that allows him to easily dismiss the words she is trying to hardly to hurt him with as nothing more than empty in regards to meaning.

He knows she is only attempting to even the playing field, after the words that had left his mouth just moments ago.

"I can't believe you!" are the words she spews like fire, outstretching her arms and waving them in an arc-like manner as though to provide further emphasis on her outrage. The creases she sports upon her forehead – a result of her angered expression – seem to deepen, perhaps even multiply, as her gaze focuses solely on his unmoving frame.

She's at her peak – and he counts himself lucky that she hasn't yet begun firing deadly gusts in his direction.

"I always knew you were an asshole," she's growling, baring her teeth in sheer anger, "but this just takes the fucking cake, Nara."

He's biting at the skin of his lips, chewing off bits and pieces of layers of skin. He's remaining silent – figuring that it is the best in the current situation – but from the anger boiling within her eyes, he knows that perhaps it isn't the best possible decision he's ever made.

"Don't you dare say a word about my brothers again, you prick," she's moving, now, storming toward the front door of their shared home. Her hand wraps around the knob, wrist twisting and arm pulling as the door opens forcefully. "_I fucking hate you_."

And with that, she's slamming the door behind her – the force strong enough to rattle the picture frames hung across the nearby walls – and he is left alone.

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><p><strong>AN:** This was definitely something interesting for me to write. I hope I did the prompt justice.


	21. Smile

It was a rare feat to get the Kazekage's one-and-only sister to truly smile.

From an outsider's point of view, one would deduce that the only men – the only individuals – in her life that could succeed in such a task were her brothers; she was rather close with the remainder of her family, after all. Even so, witnessing a true smile from the Ambassador of Suna was few and far between.

She would flash those wicked grins of triumph during battle – eyebrows pulling down, forehead creasing, eyes glinting with pride, lips slightly curving upward – something one would discover was rather a contrast to the genuine smile she was capable of. The smile in which she would close her eyes, nose wrinkling as her lips part and jaw clenches in a large grin – one that shows off the majority of her teeth, leaving her gum line visible. To most, the smile was obnoxious – definitely not the gorgeous smile you would expect from such a beautiful young woman – though the meaning behind it was always there. Once rewarded with such a smile would realize that they had done something extremely right by the sandy-blonde, earning her respect, friendship, or even love.

It was that smile that made Shikamaru realize that, perhaps, his father wasn't so crazy, after all.

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><p><strong>AN:** Going to clear something up regarding the previous chapter since I've been getting many questions in regards to what Shikamaru exactly said. I should've clarified that that is completely up to the reader's interpretation. Go nuts!


	22. Game

He is extremely clever – she'll give him that.

The sly look upon his face – the way his left eyebrow arches, and the right corner of his lips curve upward – is her first clue. Her second – though she makes no effort whatsoever to counter his upcoming attack – is how quickly his hands move, forming that all too familiar sign belonging to the Nara clan. Her third and final is the quick utter of the words, _Kagemane no Jutsu_.

She narrows her eyes.

He's caught her shadow from across the room, linking them together and stripping her of her freedom to move willingly. With every slight movement of his muscles, her body imitates each gesture, rendering her utterly helpless and at his will. As he rises from his seat – a mischievous glint in those brown eyes – she follows suit, legs moving at his control as he closes the distance between the two of them. He allows her to come to halt just inches away from his own body.

She knows better than to resist his jutsu – learning rather quickly how difficult breaking out of it was during their first meeting at the chūnin exams all those years ago – as he lifts his arm with hers mimicking the movement. Her neck moves on its own, craning upward as his travels downward, meeting her halfway. Before she knows it, their arms are wrapped around each other's necks, pulling their bodies closer together, while their breath lingers against the other's face.

She knows exactly what his motive is – and she refuses to budge the moment his lips meet hers.

They move agonizingly slow, leaving a trail of saliva behind upon the skin just below her bottom lip. It's disgusting – repulsive – of him to be so sloppy, so careless, and she can feel the smirk forming against her skin.

She wants nothing more than to shove him away, scolding him about how utterly disgusting he is as he laughs at her response; however, she knows showing any sort of resistance against his jutsu would result in her forfeit, and she refuses to let him win this little game he has conducted.

The scent of his cologne – one she bought him after he complained about smelling like the deer he had been tasked with herding after the war – fills her nostrils; a somewhat pleasant scent lingering within the air. His nose brushes against the side of her face as he angles his head, and she can feel the tip of his tongue against her closed mouth, drawing invisible patterns against the thin skin. It tickles, yet she continues not to budge.

The way he inhales audibly – sharply – through his nose tells her he's given up.

"That's really all you've got, Nara?" she grins.

"Troublesome," he mumbles, releasing her from the jutsu.

Perhaps – one day – she would grant him the satisfaction of winning that he craves oh so deeply; after all, she would be receiving something in return.

For now, however, she will continue to watch him struggle.

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><p><strong>AN:** Thanks for all of the reviews!


	23. Sick Days

His eyes were filled with worry as he held his wailing son, patting the infants back as soothingly as he could manage through his panic. He was terrified – terrified that his son hadn't stopped crying even after he had attempted every possible solution crammed into his parental mind; feeding, changing, not even cuddling had succeeded in hushing the young Nara, further heightening the worry of his father.

"Is he tugging at his ears?" his wife had asked from their shared office within their home, hunched over a mountain of paperwork.

"What does that even matter?" he retaliated. However, their son had been tugging at his ears, but what did that have to do with his unusual crying fit? "Shikadai is in pain, Temari, and I don't know what the hell to do!"

"Of course he's in pain, ass-hat," she grumbles, setting her pen down beside the paperwork before her and pushing her chair away from the desk. "He's got an ear infection."

He gave her a quizzical look. "Huh?"

She stood from her chair and sighed. "An ear infection – I saw this a lot with Kankurō and Gaara growing up. He's pulling at his ears because he can't _tell_ us what hurts, so he has to _show_ us."

Oh.

That did make sense.

"For a genius," she said, taking their son out of her husband's arms, "you sure can be a moron. This'll clear up on its own, we just need to give him some pain reliever in the meantime."

"Okay."

"And next time this little fawn gets sick, don't overreact, crybaby. He's a strong one like his mother."

Shikamaru sighed.

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><p><strong>AN:** I apologize for lack of updates, lately! The holiday season got the best of me. I do, however, have a lot of updates in store! Thank you all for reading, and I hope you have a happy New Year and very Merry Christmas.


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